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"Yes, you called on Lady Julianne Blind, isn’t she?" He shook off his cigar into an ivory ashtray

"How charitable of you" His gaze grew shifty, speculative as he brought the cigar back to his lips "Word is her brother’s in the market for a wife," he said around the moistened end

Jane carefully schooled her features to reflect none of her surprise It appeared Seth’s intention to take a bride was already public knowledge

"I wouldn’t know about that," she lied, lacing her fingers together in her lap

"Ah" Des her gray gown until she felt as though he had stripped her of every last stitch of fabric "Chloris thinks it unseee in Society so soon after Marcus’s death, and I h ti nature of Des in the bed of histhe reality ofMarcus spent most of his ti his head ruefully "Perhaps not But an unfortunate bit of scandal, nonetheless And your insistence at rejoining Society so soon after such scandal has most distressed Chloris And Chloris unhappy--" He broke off to shake his head "Well, let us just say that an unhappy Chloris can be a bit of a trial for anyone"

"Then perhaps it would be in everyone’s interest if I left," Jane suggested, doing her best to keep the ring of hope fro Marcus’s death, she had not pressed on theMatthew needed one friendly face around when he came home on holiday, so But Jane had reached a point where her instincts deaze trailing over her lazily

"I can retire to the dower house," she reco Marcus’s death"

"But Jane, dear" He clucked his tongue and reached out to brush his knuckles against her cheek

"I enjoy having you underfoot"

She flinched and pulled away from his touch

He scowled "Does my touch repulse you so? I daresay someone in your position should not be so particular"

"My position?"

"You are without funds And seeing as your fa you, you are attoher face "They don’t belong to you"

He gri a hand at his lacy cravat "Yes, well Your clothes belong to an eleven-year-old boy that I happen to hold doaze raked her in a way that made her feel soiled and in need of a bath "I want you beneath nation, she pushed to her feet, ready to flee the roo"

His hands seized her arh searching for a point of invasion "You must know I’m mad for you Since Marcus o or I shall call for help"

He released her, his bottohters’ when denied a treat

Shedistance between them "If you’re so concerned with your wife’s happiness, let arner her favor"

"I can give you what you want, Jane A house of your own again Beautiful dresses The freedom you crave--"

"As your mistress?" She snorted "That sounds like a prison sentence"

"No one need know We can be discreet" He paused,can you live like this? The pathetic relation dressed like an old crow?"

Jane shook her head in disbelief "You think a few pretty dresses will convinceit takes you to change your ainst his teeth "I’ll have you yet"

With as e, she turned for the door

"Oh, I allanced over her shoulder, unease trickling down her neck at his strangely a your wardrobe relieved of anything save black I’ve also acquisitioned your jewelry since you have no need of it while in "

Apprehension fluttered low in her belly Had he found the necklace ah his search of her roohter in his eyes told her exactly what he thought she could do if she did harbor objections Dark anger bubbled to life in her belly

Jane pursed her lips with deter She would not be controlled so neatly, fenced in and constrained as though she were less than free

She would htly"

Gregory whirled around to find Lady Julianne sitting quietly and serenely on a bench beneath a large oak

"Lady Julianne," he greeted her, executing a neat bow to his employer’s sister as he realized she could not see the courtesy Then, recalling she had addressed him by name, he asked, "How did you knoascloser on the garden path and feeling a smile pull at his lips

"Am in need of a bath?"

"Indeed not You smell rather like lemons You always do Most unique"